After last season, Ohio State's offense was seen as good, but not elite. The defense carried the team to a 12-0 regular season before the Buckeyes lost the final two games of the year. Poor offensive output was the main reason for losing against both IU and Miami.
Heading into the 2026 season, the Buckeyes are expected to have one of the best offenses in the country. Part of that is because Arthur Smith is the new offensive coordinator. Part of it is due to the fact that they have two of the best offensive players in the nation, as well.
ESPN names Jeremiah Smith and Julian Smith in the top 10 players this season
According to ESPN, Jeremiah Smith is the best player in the country. That's not surprising, as he is the best weapon in all of college football. Last season, he had 87 catches for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. That was with playing with a first-time starter at quarterback, as well.
Smith will be the focal point of Ohio State's offense all year long. Arthur Smith is charged with scheming up plays to help Smith get open. The man throwing him the ball, Julian Sayin, also got some love from ESPN, as well. They listed him as the eighth-best player in the country.
Sayin led the country in competition percentage last season, but he still had some things he needed to improve on. He has put on muscle and has worked on his scrambling. Those two factors should make him one of the best starting quarterbacks in the country.
Throwing go routes was something Sayin excelled at. While Smith doesn't want to take that away, he also wants to develop more plays for guys to have yards after the catch. The middle of the field is going to be more open, and the Buckeyes will be ready to take advantage of the new plays Smith implements.
Ohio State's offense could carry them to a national championship
The Ohio State Buckeyes are going to lean on the offense all season long in order to win a championship. They have made it clear that is their goal, since they are the top-ranked team in the country. Having Smith be the right fit from a scheme perspective will determine if the offense will be elite.
Last season, Ohio State was 26th in yards per game. That will need to be in the top 10 in order for Ohio State to win it all. That's especially true with the defense losing so much talent to the NFL Draft. Losing three first-round picks on that side of the ball isn't easy to replace.
Of course, Ohio State's offense has no excuse for not being an elite unit. Week 1 against Ball State will likely show their firepower, but Week 2 against Texas will be the first real test. Can Smith and Sayin score against an elite defensive unit in a hostile environment? That will be the question early in the season.
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